New Ipswich

Officer leaving for promotion

NEW IPSWICH — The New Ipswich Police Department will be losing a certified police officer, while the shared Temple-Greenville department regains one: Officer Michael Needham will be returning to there after six months of serving in New Ipswich.

Needham left Temple-Greenville six months ago during a push by New Ipswich to hire more certified officers, in an effort to round out an understaffed force. However, following the end of his six-month trial period in New Ipswich, Needham will be returning to the Temple-Greenville department, where he served for multiple years prior to leaving for New Ipswich. He won’t be returning as a patrol officer, however. Needham is returning to Temple-Greenville for promotion to a supervisory position, according to New Ipswich Lt. Sean Cavanaugh.

“He is going to be missed,” said Cavanaugh on Wednesday. “He was a great officer and they’re getting a great cop. Obviously, we don’t want him to leave, but we wish him the best of luck.”

New Ipswich Police Chief Tim Carpenter asked in a letter to the Select Board, which the board read at its Tuesday meeting, to approach a certified officer serving in one of the surrounding towns about the position, before it is posted. The board agreed to allow Carpenter to attempt to fill the position with a certified officer before advertising.

Needham’s departure puts the New Ipswich department at four full-time officers out of the six budgeted. The town is currently in the oral board phase of interviews to fill one of those open positions, and expects to have an officer in place by the end of summer.

Needham will continue in his position as a master patrolman in New Ipswich through June 19.

Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter at @AshleySaari.